Made Hoops LA Live Review

Ryan Morgan July 29, 2023 @ 02:16 PM

I'm still going back through some of the July events I missed out on and this time I'm stopping in on Made Hoops' LA Live. It turned out to be a great opportunity to see the Northwest's premier Nike teams and check in on ranked prospects to see how they're keeping on as the summer closes up. Here are a few standouts from the event.   [player_tooltip player_id='1685489' first='Yeabsera' last='Aklog'] NW Rotary Rebels Eastside Catholic '26   Continues to improve in the post, working down on the blocks or further out in the mid to short range. He's very poised with his back to the hoop, feels defenders out well enough to get one rhythm dribble to either side and hit the smooth turnaround jumper. He generally shows good post control and has the patience to work side to side and keep his options alive. When pressure came he found good options with the pass and showed some real touch with some tip-ins off the rebound.   [player_tooltip player_id='1863242' first='Dekker' last='Van De Graaf'] NW Rotary Rebels Zillah '26   He's a powerful guard who can elevate up to the rim and still show some delicate touch to drop in shots over the top of defenders. In transition, he showed smart use of his body to protect his shots from trailing defenders and does the same in the half-court with defenders in his hip pocket. Defensively, he has great ability to muscle up smaller guards and add some shot blocking, but even when he doesn't block shots, his ability to cover ground on closeouts helped affect a number of tries from the perimeter.   [player_tooltip player_id='1685488' first='Katrelle' last='Harmon'] NW Rotary Rebels Rainier Beach '26   The game-changing length and athleticism are still readily apparent, but what's really impressive for the young point guard is his recognition of passing angles, and slots, and how to set up those lanes with his dribble and drive. He's able to draw lots of attention with his finishing ability, and with his combo of length, burst, and touch, it's tough for defenders to decipher just how he's going to finish the play.   [player_tooltip player_id='1587994' first='Mason' last='St Louis'] Seattle Rotary Kentwood '25   St Louis stood out for his aggressiveness crashing the glass and outworking players on both ends. He's a bouncy guard with some decent length who really highlighted what his athleticism can do in areas other than scoring. He still has more potential to tap into defensively, but the energy and effort on the boards was another example of how he can affect games.   [player_tooltip player_id='1631541' first='Breylon' last='Webb'] Seattle Rotary O'Dea '25   Webb looked really comfortable operating from the perimeter, confidently pulling the trigger from behind the arc, putting the ball on the floor and getting to the middle with just a couple of dribbles, and seeking to make things happen when the ball swung his way. It's an area of his game that should continue to develop, as well as his versatility defensively, as he showed an ability to alter shots near the rim against guards and forwards.   [player_tooltip player_id='1662790' first='Luke' last='Johnson'] Seattle Rotary Eastside Catholic '25   Johnson is a very intuitive player and a high-level decision-maker. Pivots, ball fakes, and a keen awareness of the entire floor, Johnson has a great understanding of leverage, positioning, and attacking angles that allows him to compete and beat bigger, more athletic players.

I'm still going back through some of the July events I missed out on and this time I'm stopping in on Made Hoops' LA Live. It turned out to be a great opportunity to see the Northwest's premier Nike teams and check in on ranked prospects to see how they're keeping on as the summer closes up. Here are a few standouts from the event.